Coming August 19, 2025. Pre-order today!

By: Paloma Lopez / Illustrated by: Abraham Matias

We can always remember her.

Nana is surrounded by family and takes joy in her many grandchildren. She’s also tired and feels pain. Soon she begins her transition from life into death, accompanied by her beloved Xolo dog, Popo.

Together they go on Nanas journey, and by the end of the story, Nana’s family celebrates the many years of love they shared with her. A grandchild takes on caring for Popo in Nana’s memory.

Simultaneously published in English and Spanish, Popothe Xolo helps kids understand how loved ones live on in our memories. An unforgettable picture book that’s grounded in the importance of the 9 levels of Mictln and the role Xolo dogs play in Indigenous cultural understandings of present-day Mexico.

“Gently magnificent.” Kirkus Reviews, starred review

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Author & Illustrator

Paloma Lopez, author

Paloma Angelina Lopez is a mother, student, and creative living in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She is a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico. Her maternal grandmothers family comes from Jalisco and Guanajuato and her fathers family is from Zacatecas and Sinaloa. Paloma married into a Cherokee family that is heavily involved in language and culture, and she works as a full-time Cherokee language learner. She hopes to become an educator and author in the Cherokee language. This is her debut childrens book. She hopes to publish more childrens literature inspired by her culture and upbringing.

Read more about Paloma.

Abraham Matias, illustrator

Abraham Matias is an illustrator, designer, and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He spent his childhood in Mexico making his own toys and miniature sets and drawing stories. Abraham works with paper-cut puppets staged and photographed inside a toy theater to create 3D, handcrafted, dreamlike scenes.

Read more about Abraham.

Awards & Honors

• Coming soon!

Editorial Reviews

Kirkus Reviews, starred review

An abuela crosses from life to death with the help of her loyal pooch.
Popo, a Xoloitzcuintle (a Mexican hairless dog with great significance in many Indigenous cultures), spends his evenings sitting on Nanas lap as she watches her novelas, soothing her aches with his tiny, warm body. Nana spends her days cooking, cleaning the floors, and tending to her familia. One night, Nana sits on her comfy chair for the last time; accompanied by Popo, she soon steps into the Aztec underworld, Mictln, where the dead must journey across nine levels to reach eternal rest. Rich in otherworldly blends of purples, pinks, and sun-kissed hues, Matias striking paper-cut artwork depicts Nanas passing in a series of stunning double-page spreads, softening the heavy subject matter. Lopezs gentle text pulls at the heartstrings in subtle streaks, punctuated by the phrase Keep going. VMONOS!, accompanying Popos barks of encouragement to his beloved owner. Nana wades through a river, climbs hills, glides across an obsidian path, battles snowy winds, evades arrow-throwing monkeys, and more as she recalls memories both good and bad. Her journey ends back at her casita, where her familia holds on to their shared remembrances. Nana now moves on (Her aches have disappeared), and Popo remains with her familia. Lopez deftly lands on a bittersweet note, a message of love that transcends life and death.
Gently magnificent. (information on the nine levels of Mictln and on the Xoloitzcuintle, a note on loss, glossary)

School Library Journal

Nana loves her family and her beloved dog, Popo. In the evenings, Popo keeps Nana warm as she settles down to watch her favorite telenovelas. This evening, Nana is tired and falls asleep. She wakes and finds herself crossing a river, Popo leading the way. Nana is tired and it is difficult as she and Popo continue their journey, passing through mountains, stone paths, snow, and more, but with each step Nana begins to feel stronger. Popo barks encouragement, tugging at Nanas skirt. When Nana and Popo arrive home, she no longer feels pain, and Nana feels the love of her family, and the love they have for Popo. This lovely picture book shares a family’s love for their beloved nana, and her journey as she passes away, traveling through the levels of Mictln with her important guide, a xoloitzcuintle dog. Text and illustrations show the obstacles Nana faces, with vibrant, luminous colors bringing to life this otherworldy place, and paper cut-out art making the characters seems so much closer to readers. The text in both the English and Spanish versions shows character dialogue in speech bubbles, with page text describing Nanas activities, her love for her family, and the levels of Mictln. A touching depiction of this important belief in the afterlife, as well as a reminder of the good it does to keep loved ones alive through memory. VERDICT This picture book focusing on the passing of a loved one and their journey through Mictln is an excellent addition to childrens picture book collections, and a solid choice to discuss loss and to share on Day of the Dead.

Children’s Literature

In this heartfelt story about death, grief, and legacy grounded in Indigenous Mexican culture, Nana and her beloved dog, Popo, are nearly inseparable. Whether Nana is cooking frijoles, sweeping the floors, or enjoying her evening telenovelas, Popo is by her side. As a xolo (pronounced SHOH-loh) dog, he is Nana’s protector and companion, especially essential roles one night when Nana begins an arduous journey, which the reader understands as her transition to the afterlife. With repeated refrains of Vamonos! Popo guides Nana through a fierce snowstorm, across slick obsidian paths, and through forests filled with monkeys slinging sharp arrows. Eventually, the pair reaches Nanas home once more, ending the journey, signifying the cyclical nature of life and death. Though Nanas family mourns her loss, her memory brings them comfort, and now that Nana no longer needs Popo to warm her lap, her children and grandchildren care for him. Lopezs evocative text, which incorporates occasional Spanish, is the perfect match for Matiass illustrations, mixed media scenes featuring yarn and cut paper, which provide a sense of depth and perspective. The contrast of darkness and light mirrors the narrative. When Nana returns home at her journeys end, her peaceful figure fills the page, enveloping the family in a warm glow. Backmatter includes a pronunciation guide, information about the xolo dog breed and their role in Indigenous Mexican cultures, as well as a guide to the nine levels of Mictlan, which one must pass through to reach the afterlife. Though death is a serious subject, this thoughtful picture book portrays the process as natural rather than fearful, making this a valuable text for bibliotherapy, as a conversation-starter with a child who has recently experienced a loss, or in an elementary classroom unit on how different cultures perceive death and the afterlife. Highly recommended.

Details

English Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-457-7

Spanish Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-458-4

Ages: 69
Page count: 40
10 x 8

Publication date: August 19, 2025

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